Honors Programs; Computer Science Majors; Student Loan Grace Period: Now What?

Are you looking for a big university with of lots of school spirit but also small class sizes and lots of research opportunities? An honors college at a large university may be your best bet. Listen in as host Shannon Vasconcelos, herself a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Honors College, talks about what honors colleges are and their benefits with colleague Jen Simons. Then, new colleague who came to us straight from the Carnegie Mellon admission office Lauren Savage with be here to discuss the difference between various computer science majors. And last, if you were given grace on your student loan payments and wonder what happens now, college finance expert Zachery Gries will join Shannon to discuss next steps.   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Many students are interested in an engineering career, but some don't know what studying to be an engineer requires or about the different kinds of engineering, from traditional ones like mechanical to newer fields like biomedical. Host Sally Ganga will be joined by colleague Mary Sue Youn, who has been advising aspiring engineers professionally on their college applications for years. But first, Sally will be joined by finance colleague Michelle Smoley who will expound on the virtues of working during holiday breaks from colleges to both earn and learn!   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Hopefully you caught our first edition of College Admissions in the Media, which went live on June 12th of 2025. Today host Kyra Tyler is continuing that conversation with colleagues Blair Dixon and Aysha Wong. In addition, College Coach finance colleague Chrissy Foran will be joining Kyra to discuss choosing colleges which offer merit aid for your college list.   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Are you a high-achieving, low-income student? Listen in as our host Ian Fisher discusses the Questbridge Scholarship with College Coach Finance expert Alex Gonzalez. Have you heard that all college admission essays must have a "hook"? Confused about what the colleges want in these essays? New College Coach educator Shayla Bezjak-Martinez, formerly of Harvey Mudd and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is here to clarify what colleges are really looking for in the admission essay "genre." Last, did you know that some colleges give you the option of submitting a virtual interview or video? While students can find that intimidating, it doesn't have to be! Colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom will be taking about what approach to take. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Working frantically to finish up your Early Decision application? Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be joined by College Coach colleague Karen Spencer to discuss putting the final touches on your Common Application.   Are you still trying to decide whether you should apply Early Action to a school? Listen in, as College Coach colleague Brittany Preston will tell you what to consider in making the decision.   And last, Finance colleague Laurie Peltier will be there to tell you that you don't need to get spooked by financial aid application mistakes.   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Celebrating our 500th (!!) episode If you're applying to the Cal States or University of California schools, listen to today's show. Host Kyra Tyler will be interviewing colleague Steve Fernandez-Brennan about how to fill out the Cal State Application, and then Kyra will be joined by Cesar Contreras, who just came to us from the admission office at UCLA, to discuss the University of California Personal Insight Questions.   In addition, College Coach Finance Colleague Jennifer Wilcox will be there to discuss credit underwriting differences between federal and private education loans.   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Applying to Columbia University, Barnard College, or the University of Chicago? Host Sally Ganga, who worked in admissions at the University of Chicago, will be interviewing colleague Mary Sue Youn, who worked at Barnard, about Barnard and Columbia's supplemental essays. Then Mary Sue Youn will turn the tables and interview Sally about Chicago. Let's see if Sally can handle the change in roles.   In addition, College Coach Finance Colleague Chrissy Foran will be there to help us understand what all the many financial aid acronyms, like FAFSA, FSAID, SAI, etc, mean.   Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Is your student considering studying abroad in college? Host Kyra Tyler will be joined by College Coach colleague Jay Bonham, who will give a parent's perspective on his experience when his son studied abroad. Interested in applying to Yale, Harvard, or Stanford? Colleague Jen Simons will be there to give tips on completing their challenging supplements. In addition, College Coach finance colleague Zach Gries will be there to discuss what the families of high school seniors should focus on now.  Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Here it is, thanks! Interested in Cal Tech and Harvey Mudd, but not sure how to approach their supplemental essays? Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be joined by Kimberly Ortiz, a College Coach colleague who is also a former admission officer at both institutions. Also, if you are looking for updates on the ever-changing world of standardized testing for college admissions, in addition to some tips and tricks, friend of the pod Meghan Stubbendeck of Arborbridge will be there to fill us all in. Last but not least, if you're applying for financial aid at an institution that requires the CSS Profile, you'll want to listen in on finance colleague Beth Feinberg-Keenan's explanation of the methodology used by the College Board for that form.    Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Students, are you beginning high school and trying to think ahead about your extracurricular activities? Concerned that you have to choose all your activities now? Colleague Tova Javetz is happy to let Host Ian Fisher know that the early years of high school is the perfect time to experiment with a variety of pursuits in order to find out which you find most fulfilling. Once you've established your preferences, it's okay to drop some of them!   Ian will also be chatting with colleague Serena Frisena about how to use, and not use, social media in the admission process. It has a place, but caution is advised.  Last, finance colleague Aimee Yorsaner will be there to provide five facts about the FAFSA.  Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach